Valve assembly with indicator



United States Patent lnventors John Demeter Carteret; Stephen Demeter,Linden and Daniel Nordoza, Keyport, New Jersey Appl. No. 619,805 FiledMarch 1, 1967 Patented Oct. 27, 1970 Assignee R.C. Industries, Inc.

Linden, New Jersey in corporation of New Jersey.

VALVE ASSEMBLY WITH INDICATOR 9 Claims, 2 Drawing Figs.

169/31, 251/321- Int. Cl ..F16k 35/00, Fl6k 31/44 Field ofSearch137/382, 557, 229; 251/321, 323; 73/419; 169/31 References Cited 0UNITED STATES PATENTS Primary Examiner1-lenry T. KlinksiekAttorney-Arthur A. March ABSTRACT: The invention is a valve particularlyuseful in a dispenser of pressurized finely divided solids that may tendto compact in the valve body and make operation impossible. 1n additionto a plunger with a conical scat which forms the main closure part, theinvention includes a spring-biased cylinder which measures the pressurein the seat area by displacement into the valve body when the sealingplunger is moved to the open position. The inward movement of the springbiased plunger dislodges the coated material and clears the valve. Lackof pressure is shown by the distance that the spring- 256,510 4/1882Stephenson 25l/323X biased plunger extends from the valve when the valveis 7/1912 Clarke 251/323 closed.

, 25 1 lo i i I3 I a l I 3 4 2 I I I l n I Pa tented Oct. 27, 1 970$536,095

FIG 1 27 3e 31 4. 37 FIG. 2

1' INVENTORS f v DANIEL NARDOZA BY JOHN DEETER ATTORNEY x I STEPHENDEME'TER VALVE ASSEMBLY wrrniNmcA'roR.

This invention relates to a valve assembly for a device for dispensingfluidized solid materials including a pressure indicating device,andgmore particularly, to valve assemblies used to control the flow of,and todispense afluidized solid material which, for exemplary purposesonly, is described herein in connection with dry chemical fireextinguishers.

The extinguishing 'agent' utilized in this type of device covered by theinvention is a finely divided powder contained in a pressure vessel andpressurized with 'an inert gas to heads ranging from 100 psi. to 200p.s.i. In operation, the powder-is I expelled from the container througha syphon tube extending from a valve to the bottomof the container.

The valves heretofore'used in such devices have sealing means along themain axis of the syphon tube and-is so disposed that theintemal'pressure-inthe container assists in maintaining the valve inclosed and sealed position until 'such' time as it is necessary to opensaid valve.

It can be readily seen that to open such a valve, force must and in manyinstances impossible. In order to qualify from list-' ing withUnderwriters Laboratories, Inc., a fire extinguisher must, among otherthings, discharge without failure .under all conditions. To accomplishthis result and 'obtain a listing, presently used apparatus includecumbersome. and complicated discharge levers.

Furthermore, pressure gauges utilized in presently conventional fireextinguisher devices are relatively expensive and prone to breakage. Thepoint of attachment to the valve body is oftentimes'the place whereleakage occurs from the pressure vessel. For the most part, they are ofthe well-known Bourdon type.

In addition, conventional fire extinguishers are provided with stemswhich may break and have no protection against such breakage.

It is therefore one object of the present invention to provide a valvethat may be operated in a simple manner by pressing a button and at thesame time to obtain discharge without jamming under all conditions.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a.

valve assembly for a device for dispensing fluidizedsolid materialswhich dispenses such materials without utilin'ng.

cumbersome complicated mechanism and is, therefore, relativelyinexpensive to manufacture.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide adevice fordispensing fluidized solid materials havingaccurate relativelyinexpensive and sturdy means for indicating the pressure of the contentswithin the vessel.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a device fordispensing fluidized solid materials in which the operating stem isprotected against breakage.

Other objects and advantages appear in the following description andspecification accompanied by drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the valve assembly of the presentinvention in its closed position. v

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the valve assembly of the presentinvention in its open position. i

In accordance with the drawings, the device for fluidized solidmaterials has a valve body 10 which is attached to the mouth of acontainer 1 1 whose contents are under pressure. A

gasket 12 seals the valve body to the container. Thevalve body has achamber 13 which connects to the contents of the container through meansof a syphon tube 14. The chamber also extends into a cavity 15 shaped tohouse a number of parts of the valve. The contents under pressure withinthe container are conducted into a cavity 15 viathe chamber 13. Thecontents are prevented from entering a chamber 16 by means of an .O"ring 17 pressing against the internal walls connect- I ing the cavity 15with the chamber 16.. A duct 18 in the valve body, connects the chamberl6with an exit opening 19. Ac-

cordingly, when the O, ring 17 is situated within the cavity 15 sothat-it doesnot seal the chamber 16 from the. cavity, the pressurizedcontents. are released into. the chamber 16 and hence out of the valvethrough a duct 18 and an exit 19.

The 0" ring,l7 'isheldinagroove.20Jin a valve stem 21.-

The valve stem is held and guided by a bearing 22 integral with thevalve body. The valve stem hasv a. shoulder 23 against which acompression spring 24 bears toforce the valve stem 21 in the directionwhich causes the OZring 17 to seal off-the chamber 16 fromthecavity;-15.-'I'he spring 24 is seatedon a retaining bushing 25, andisadjustedsothat it is under com-.

pression whenthevalve is closed, in'whichcondition,the0" ring 17isolates theehamber 16afrom-the cavity 15.1To openthe valve the stem 21is pushed against the, action of the spring, and this forces the O ring171away from theinternal walls and into the cavity 15.'ln this positionof the valve stem,

the chamber 16 opens into the cavity 15, and the pressurized.

contents may pass through and out of the valve.

To facilitate the pushing of. the valve stem 2l &against the spring 24so as to open the valve, a stem button 26is provided at the end of thestem, for operationby thumb or finger pressure. To prevent accidentaloperation of the valve as, for example, in fire extinguishers,thebutton26-is situated within a cavity 27, which must be specificallyentered to actuate the valve stem. More important cavity 27 serves asprotecting means to prcventbreakage of the operating stemof the unit ifaccidently dropped. Underwritcr s Laboratories, Inc.s requirements todayprovide for a fourifootdrop without breakage. Further safety means maybeincluded for purposes of preventing accidental operation of the valve,by covering the cavity with a seal28. Such a seal may be made of paperor other easily penetrable material. With this arrangement it is onlynecessary that the seal 28 be broken before the valve can be opened. Arecess 29in the valve body, serves as a stop for the motion of thebutton 26, which has a shoulder 30'that engages the recess as shown in FIG. 2.

The retaining bushing 25 isseated within an indicator housing 31 thatsupports the parts by which an indication is obtained of the pressureprevailing within the valve and hence within the container 11. Thehousing 3lzcontains a bearing surface 32 which'guides an indicating stem33 that is part of a piston 34 which is retained and guided by theinternal walls of the housing 31. A compression spring 35'acting againstthe housing 3l and a piston shoulder 36, tends to draw the stem 33 intothe valve body. The pressurized contents within the cavity 15, on theother hand, bear against a piston surface 37 and counteract the motionof spring 35; Thus, by adjusting the spring 35in relation to thepressure. within the cavity 15, it is possible to obtain an indication.of the pressure prevailing in.

the cavity or container, by observing the amount that the stem 33'extends out of the valve body. Accordingly, stem 33 may includecalibration marks 33 which indicate the numerical values oftheprevailingpressure. An 0 ring 38 serves as a sealing means. toprevent the pressurized contents: from seeping between the valve bodyand the housing 31, and out of the valve. Similarly, an O ring 39prevents seepage past the piston 34 and out'of the valve or into. thearea of the spring 35. The housing 31 is held within the valve body 10by means of a retaining washer 40. Although 0 rings have been designatedas the sealing means for preventing leakage ofthe valve such sealingmeans can be in the form of gaskets or other similar sealing meanscommonly known to the art.

The piston 34.includes an opening which guides the valve stem 21 bymeans of a plunger-41 attached to the valve stem. Accordingly, the stem22 is firmly guided between the bearing 22 and the bearing surfaceformed by the plunger 41 and the internal wall of the piston 34. Thisarrangement of the plunger 41 and the piston 34, also maintains theaction of the valve ways possible. I

stem 21 independent from-the pressure indicating mechanism Thus, thestem 21 may be moved back and forth without: disturbing the setting ofthe indicating stem 33. The indicating stem 33 is related to the actionof the valvestem'only to the extent that depression of the stem 21 opensthe valve which releasesthe pressurized contents and causes,accordingly, a

drop in pressure within the .container. This pressure drop is' thenregistered by the stem 33 through a corresponding movement into thevalve body.. 7

As aforesaid, the indicating mechanism and valve construc- Thus, thestatus of thecontents within the tire extinguisher is always revelaed bythe indicating stem 33. When the pressure within the fire extinguisherdrops below a predetermined safe level, this condition would be reportedby the position and I tion is especiallyuseful in conjunction with fireextinguishers,

markings of the stem 33. Accidental operation of the fire extinguisheris also prevented by the manner in which the button 26 is protected bythe cavity 27 and the seal 28.

It will be understood that in a properly charged extin-h V? guishe r,the extinguishing agent will be in the container 11.-

i The syphon tube 14 and chamber-13, and cavity 15 would normallybefilled with. the pressurizing agent'in gaseous form. In

" practiCeQhowever, it often happens that during the pressurizingoperation there may be a momentary reversal of pressure from thecontainer up towards chamber 15 which results in compacting the chamberwith the powdered extinguishing agent.

In conventional valve assemblies where the valve stem is a axial withthe syphon tube, initiating discharge against said compacted powderwould be impossible. The construction of the present valve assembly issuch that any compacted powder is displaced sideward by a' shearingaction'thus counteracting the jamming action of the compacted mass. VFurther, in operation under 'intermittant discharges, the

chamber 15 may become filled with powder. owever; according to thepresent invention and using its construction, during discharge there isa drop in pressure on piston 34 causing it to retract toward chamber 15.This action provides the space needed to displace the compacted powdersidewards by the force exerted on the valve stem 21 and transmitted tothe indicating stem which can move outwardly. The movement is thereforewithout any jamming effect by the compacted mass I in cavity 15 and theopening and the closing of the valve is al- The present invention hasbeen described in some detail in connection with fire extinguishers butthis is merely todemon- .strate one manner of operation. It will beunderstood that it. may be used for dispensing other materials and thesevariations and modifications may be made without departing from thespirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

We claim:

i 4 trance and exit openingsand ducts connecting said openings, saidbody structure forming the supporting meansfor said assembly; a valveoperating means for opening and closing said valve; and means forindicating'the presure within said valve 1 at the entrance opening, andwherein said valve operating means comprisesza sealing means to closesaid ducts between entrance and exit openings; a valve sternsupportingsaid sealing means and being slideable in bearings formed by said bodystructure of said valve; and a spring acting upon said valve stem tomaintain said valve stem and sealing means in the position closing saidentrance opening from said exit opening, said sealing means and said.valve stem beingremovable from said position to form' a freepath betweenentrance and exit openings through depression of said valve stem againstthe action of said spring, and wherein said for indicating the pressurewithin said valve at the entrance opening comprises: a pistoncommunicating with a duct leading to said entrance opening, piston beingsubject to the pressure prevailing "within said entrance opening anindicating stem fixed to said piston and'extending out of said bodystructure of said valve; and an indicator spring actinguponsaid pistonand against said pressure, the action of said indicator spring tendingto draw said. indicating stem into said bodystructure of said valve, andwherein said body structure has a valve cavity shaped to house pam ofthe valve, and wherein the entrance and exit ducts extend obliquely fromsaidvalve cavity.

- 2. The valve assembly of claim 1 wherein said valve stem has a plungermoveably disposed in a bearing surface in the intemal wall of saidpiston.

I 3. The valve assembly of claim 1 ,including a housing wherein said'piston slides, said housing being seated within said body structureofsaid valve and enclosing said indicator spring. v i i 4. The valveasscmbly of claim 3 including a sealing means between said housing andsaid body structure, and a scaling means between said piston and sai dihousing, said sealing means preventing leakage past said piston and saidhousing.

' 5. The' valve assembly of claim 1 wherein said indicating "stem hasmarkings indicative of the pres sure acting upon said piston. g

6. The valve assembly of claim 1 wherein a pushbutton is fixed to saidvalve stem to facilitate depressing said valve stem against the actionof said spring.

ducts between entrance and exit openings.

1. A valve assembly comprising: a body structure having en 5

